This isn't just any baby massage course .....

I trained with the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) as a baby massage teacher - I’m a Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI) and when I teach you how to massage your baby, I also teach you a whole lot more.

As a CIMI, I teach you baby massage in stages so that we don’t overwhelm your new infant in one go. This means that, over the five week course, your baby gets used to the different positive touches and massage strokes as they gradually get used to this new world that they’ve entered into. The massage routine involves different styles of touch, movement, interaction and communication.

Week one, we begin with the legs as babies are used to having their legs and feet handled through nappy changes. Each week, we review all the strokes so, on week two, in addition to the leg review, I will show you how to massage the tummy with an additional, separate colic routine. Week three, I will add in the chest and arms; week four, the face and back. By week five, we will run through the whole routine from start to finish and I’ll then show you how you can adapt the massage as your baby grows. Baby massage shouldn’t stop when baby starts crawling, it should be adapted so that you can still massage your child as they get older.

During all of this time, I’ll also teach you how to understand your baby’s non-verbal communication cues so that you know how to interpret what your baby is telling you. This includes their facial expressions, their cries, the body gestures …..

I’ll teach you respect and about permissions - we always ask permission before starting any massage and, by understanding your baby’s communication cues, you’ll learn from their posture, their gaze and any other pre-verbal expressions if they want a massage or if there is any part of their body that they don’t want massaged today!

Babies that are massaged regularly have better immune systems and show more weight gain in the early months. By massaging your baby, you are stimulating all their internal systems and boosting their circulation. You are also enhancing their nerve impulses, which will help with your baby’s development of communication, speech and language.

Research into the effects of baby massage on attachment confirms that it is effective in increasing the mother-infant attachment: https://vimalaji.wordpress.com/

If your baby suffers from colic, I can teach you a specific routine that will help to alleviate the discomfort suffered by a colicky baby and it will help to stimulate the digestive system so that the discomfort gradually goes away. I’ve had parents contact me within hours of starting the colic routine to say that their baby’s symptoms are already improving.

You’ll learn about what massage oils to use - the IAIM recommends high quality, non-fragranced vegetable oil. You don’t need to go out and buy anything expensive - you’ve probably got some oil ready to use in your food cupboard!

And I’ll teach you some songs - don’t worry, you don’t have to sing - but there are some lovely songs that we can share.

Taking the time to provide a regular massage for your baby offers you a special space where you and your wee one can connect and relax and you’re showing your baby that you love, value and respect them!